Just Write and See What Happens.

Today I will just write and see what happens!

It is Saturday before Resurrection Sunday. This Holiday in paticular has me thinking of home, and being home. I am 65 days away from the beginning of my next journey, by the way (BTW for the kids). Anyway, the day of the Resurrection, this entire week has a paticularly spot in my heart as four years ago the PAssion week came just after my Salvation. My first Communion with the Lord, my Baptism and then Ressurrection Sunday. I think I cried the entire month. It is also the birth of the Christian faith, the hope that we have after the defeat of sin from the cross. My life in death, the defeat of my sin and my hope in the promise of the Lord. Wow!

Being home with Catherine, the kids and all of my Brothers and Sisters would be so joyful, but just isn't going to happen this year. I do however get to spend this one with the greatest Soldiers in the World who have also become my very close friends, Brothers and Sisters. It will definately become and very fond moment in my life to stand at a sunrise service, in the middle (well maybe a little to the left side) of Afghanistan, with these Soldiers, celebrating the Resurrection of the Savior of all men. In a country that denies Jesus as God, we can be a little becon of light for Him.

I also invited Mohammad to come to the Sunrise or 11:00 service. He has become one of my closest friends here. He was the one who invited me to the Eid (spelling) prayer back in August after Ramadon. It was a fabulous experience to wittness the Muslim prayer with several of the men here and I thought that maybe he would like to share an important day with me as a Christian. I am hoping that he will be able to remeber another moment that he and I shared together in our Faiths. Oh, and for anybody who would be nervous to ask a Muslim, or their nieghbor for that matter, to church, it didn't hurt a bit. It was very similar to asking him if he wanted to go get lunch and hang out a little together. Try it!

It is heating up over here a little bit, not just temperature. We had a rocket attack the other day, first one that I have been in since being here. The other two happened when I was on R&R. This one came over our tents and landed about 300 meters away. Shrappnel landed in our trades area so in the sceme of things that was close. I was up in the Chapel getting ready to have prayer with Robert and the guys. One things that I noticed has changed with me. The explosion happened and we just sat and discussed how close it sounded and what direction it was in. Fear of getting blown up, or sliced up, has gone away. You go to the bunkers on the bunker call, but fear is not there anymore.

The other night also, was real close to some trouble that occurred on the Afghan side of the Camp. With out getting into the details, I was giving my Brother Mike a ride back to his living area, on the the ANA side, in the gator and we pulled up onto about thirty ANA soldiers sorounding an MRAM. They were hooting and holering, raiseing there AK's in the air. We slowed down about fifty yards away and Mike pulled his weopon, cocking it and then aske dme to turn around, that something was wrong. We scurried back to the Italian compound for a safe haven. Turns out that there was a situation that was handled very delicately between the US Commander and the ANA Commander. We almost drove ito the situation.

It was funny, because the next day I thought about Mike's 9mm Pistol against all of the AK's and felt it probably wouldn't have done us any good at the time. Like I told him though, at least we will always have a story to tell.

Well, I hope that all of you enjoy your Resurrection Sunday. Even if your not a believer, know in your mind that Jesus Christ died and rose again, the crucifixtion part gave us all a way to pass through the Judgement by God. The Ressurrection part gives us all hope but also assures me that Christ will be there to stand in front of me during that judgement. I know, you don't believe, thats ok, one day we will all know for sure. Also for the non believers, enjoy the celebration of the hard boiled egg and try not to think of Jesus why you are doing so.

Lord Jesus, bless all that may read this today. For all that are away from home may they have peace in their hearts. May all celebrate you and know the hope that you have given us all. Amen.